The Grand Budapest Hotel

 

 
Quick Stats
 

Genre: ,
 
Director:
 
Actors: , , , , ,
 
MPAA Rating:
 
Release Date: 28th March 2014
 
Length: 1 hour 40 minutes
 
Storyline: A noted author tells the story of a hotel owner and his tale of Gustave H, the Grand Budapest Hotel’s legendary concierge, and his adventures.
 
Studio: Scott Rudin Productions, Indian Paintbrush, Studio Babelsberg, American Empirical Pictures, TSG Entertainment
 
Producer: Molly Cooper, Christoph Fisser, Henning Molfenter, Charlie Woebcken, Wes Anderson, Jeremy Dawson, Steven M. Rales, Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, Jane Frazer, Octavia Peissel
 
Written By: Inspired by the works of: Stefan Zweig, Story: Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness Screenplay: Wes Anderson
 
Plot / Story
90%


 
Characters
90%


 
Acting
90%


 
Cinematography
25%


 
Soundtrack
80%


 
Uniqueness
90%


 
Total Score
78%


User Rating
no ratings yet

 

What We Liked


This movie is exciting, funny, touching, and compelling.

What We Disliked


Anderson keeps his audience at some distance from his characters, making it hard to get emotionally invested. Also the ending is a little abrupt.


Bottom Line

This film is Wes Anderson at his best. It’s charming, different from the vast majority of movies out there and firmly stamped with Anderson’s signature style. If you enjoyed past works like Moonrise Kingdom and The Royal Tenenbaums this is a must-see. If you have never seen one of Anderson’s movies before, this will turn you into a huge fan.

0
Posted June 30, 2014 by

 
Buy, Rent or Cinema
 
 

Full Review

The movie opens with a young woman going to visit the statue of a famous author and starting to read his book, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. The action shifts to the contents of the book, as the Author (Tom Wilkinson or Jude Law, depending on the time period) relates the story of his stay at the hotel in the fictional country of Zubrowka and his evening with its elusive owner, Mr Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham). Mr Moustafa tells the Author the tale of his adventures in the hotel’s glory days, as a lobby boy named Zero (fantastic debut by Tony Revolori) at the side of the spectacular concierge Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes). It is a tale of love, tragedy, murder, art theft, adventure, and much more.

The glorious Gustave and his protégé Zero start out in the hotel as one would expect, but following the death of a wealthy patron things start to spiral out of control. If the constant twists and turns aren’t enough to keep you captivated, the witty dialogue will keep you fully engaged. As is standard for Anderson, this movie is full of famous faces. In addition to his usual collaborators Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Edward Norton, and Bill Murray, Anderson has attracted the likes of Tilda Swinton, Saoirse Ronan, and Harvey Keitel to play roles that may not be huge, but are certainly significant. It’s also worth keeping an eye out for cameos, as it seems everyone in Hollywood wanted to pop up somewhere in this movie.

The characters played by these famous faces are wonderful. Even the smallest role is fleshed out to give the viewer a picture, fleeting though it may be, of who these people are. Gustave H is beautifully realised, with Fiennes occupying the role so comfortably he could carry the whole film alone if he had to. Revolori does an even better job playing Zero, a typical Wes Anderson protagonist with hidden depths, a clever and quirky outlook on life, and an adorable moustache that he drew on himself. The only downside is that Anderson keeps us at a distance from these characters: we skim their surfaces, but the humour and pace of the film keeps us from exploring in depth.

One of the most captivating things about The Grand Budapest Hotel is the way it looks. Anderson’s signature mise-en-scène is in full force here, with every shot resembling a cross between a portrait and the set for a play. The hotel is a star in its own right, and the exterior shots are breathtaking. Even if the humour is not to your liking, you will love looking at the colourful beauty of this film.

When this film ends, it does so fairly abruptly. That is the only disappointment about the Grand Budapest Hotel: our stay feels a little too short.

Wes Anderson fans will love this movie, as will anyone who enjoys humour, adventure, and quick wit. If you are looking for slapstick or a simple plot, however, it’s best to choose another film.

Find the most competitive prices for The Grand Budapest Hotel in the table below. If viewing from a mobile device please click on + to get more information.

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Did you enjoy this review? If so, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below and don’t forget to give it a rating so that we can tally the total user ratings. If you have spotted a factual error in the review, please let us know here.

Mary D

 
Mary D


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